As the Supreme Court heard arguments last week on the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which restricts federal marriage benefits to opposite-sex married couples, and California’s Proposition 8 ballot question that bans same-sex marriage, a former Auburn woman is basking in the glow of winning a wedding contest with her gay partner.

Jenna Eagleton, a 2003 graduate of Auburn High School, and her fiancée, Caroline Currie, both of Portland, Maine, are the first gay couple to win the annual Real Maine Wedding of the Year Contest. Their grand prize is a $100,000 dream wedding.

The announcement was made last week at the Maine Wedding Association Bridal Show at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport, Maine.

Ms. Eagleton said, “It was a little surreal, but exciting. Since then, we’ve done radio and TV shows and have been interviewed by newspapers from all over. I’m hoping one day everyone can be as happy as we are. I think all the interest is because it’s in the news right now.”

Melanie Brooks, editor of Real Maine Weddings magazine, which sponsors the annual Maine Wedding of the Year Contest, said: “We were excited. This is the first year we could open our contest to gay couples. Our rules require that the winner must be able to have a legal wedding. We’ve had requests from gay couples in previous years. It was hard to say no. This year, we didn’t have to.”

She said Ms. Eagleton and Ms. Currie were the only gay couple to enter the contest. They were one of three finalists and were awarded the grand prize by a vote of the public and participating vendors.

“Jenna and Caroline had support from across the country. I hope this shows that all Maine couples about to be legally married are welcome to enter our contest. Anyone can win. You have to give up a lot if you win. You have no choice of vendors for your wedding,” she said.

On the other hand, the vendors who do the wedding are “tops in their field.”

Andrea’s Bridal of Portland had agreed to supply a wedding gown from Allure Bridals for the contest.

“Caroline said she would wear a bridesmaid’s dress, but then Allure offered to give us a second wedding gown. Caroline and Jenna will each get a $1,200 wedding dress,” Ms. Brooks said.

The couple agreed not to peek at the other’s wedding gown until the big day.

As with most of their wedding details, the final decision on which gowns they wear will be decided by a vote of the public.

“Jenna and Caroline will each get to choose three gowns they like, then we will open voting to the public in about a month at www.realmaineweddings.com, and Jenna and Caroline will wear the gowns that get the most votes. There will be votes on many aspects of the wedding, from the ice sculpture to the flowers, cake and wedding bands,” Ms. Brooks said.

One thing that is known but might be unexpected is that the wedding cake will be donated by Let Them Eat Cake of Kennebunk and will not be made by Ms. Eagleton’s mother, Millbury resident Penny Eagleton, who has been well known for her custom wedding cakes since 1981.

Mrs. Eagleton said: “It would have been difficult to be in the wedding and bring the cake.”

Both brides’ parents plan to attend the wedding, which is expected to be a three-day event, all donated. It will feature a family reunion at On the Marsh Bistro in Kennebunk on Oct. 16, rehearsal at Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport the next day, and the wedding ceremony on the beach at The Colony Hotel in Kennebunkport Oct. 18, followed by a trolley ride to Wells Reserve at Laudholm for a reception in a rustic barn.

The wedding will be featured in the January 2014 issue of Real Maine Weddings magazine.

The romance began when Ms. Eagleton and Ms. Currie were introduced by mutual friends four years ago. They have been together ever since. Ms. Eagleton is in advertising with NL Partners in Portland. Ms. Currie owns her own startup fitness business, Project Wellness.

The couple were visiting Ms. Currie’s family in North Carolina at Christmas when Ms. Currie proposed.

“Her family knew, and they were nervous for her. I knew something was up, but I didn’t know what. We went on a canoe ride to a little island, and she proposed, and gave me a beautiful square-cut diamond ring,” Ms. Eagleton said.

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